Wellington Film Society: Preview – The Selfish Giant (November 12)

The Wellington Film Society is heading into its final few weeks for 2018. Last week it was Fireworks Wednesday, this week we’re in the world of Oscar Wilde, or at the least inspired by his words with this take on The Selfish Giant.
Actually, this Iranian film from 2006 is – literally – about fireworks; though it’s a new year celebration rather than any acknowledgment of old Guido Fawkes…

The two young actors playing the leads, Connor Chapman and Shaun Thomas, are simply astounding – completely untrained but cast because they were locals and could bring that verisimilitude to the roles that they inhabit; they more than carry the emotional heft of the film. The remainder of the adult cast are largely unknown although Downton Abbey fans will spot Siobhan Finneran (the devious O’Brien) playing Swifty’s mother. The industrial town of Bradford is brought to vivid life by cinematographer Mike Eley, giving the landscape of powerlines and scrapyards an almost magical sheen.